Toy cannon.



H. R. GILSON. TOY CANNON. APPLICATION FILED 0012s, 1912.

1,083,361 Patented Jan. 6,1914.

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HENRY R. GILSON, OF ECONOMY, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOY CANNON.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY R. GILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Economy, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Cannons,

of which the following is a specificatlon.

This invention relates to toy cannons, and

more especially to the breech-loading variety thereof, and it has for one of its objects the provision of a toy which consists of very few parts, and which may be made of sheet metal and wire, thus producing an article which is strong and not subject to fracture, and which can be very cheaply made.

The invention has, furthermore, for its object the provision of improved meansfor supporting the projector of the cannon, and also of an improved construction of the latter.

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear and be particularly defined in the claims.

The invention has been clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters denote similar parts, and

in which Figure 1 is a top view of a toy cannon embodying iny invent-ion. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, partially broken away, and Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the present instance the cannon is supported upon a block 10 which may be made of wood and to the upper face of which is swiveled a bracket 11 substantially U-shaped and formed of sheetmetal, the side-uprights being reinforced by rib depressions 11. Tiltingly supported in the bracket 11 as at p. is the barrel of the gun which is also formed of sheet metal bent to form a forward tubular portion 12 and a breech portion 13, the latter being open at its top, as at 14, to permit the insertion of projectiles either individually or through a magazine indicated by M as may be desired. The rear portion of the breech is substantially U-shaped in cross section, the parallel portions being connected by a stud 15 which has several functions viz: First :to cooperate with a plain face 16 formed in the breech portion by crimping the metal as shown in Fig. 3, so as to guide the rear end of a projector 17 consisting of an L-shaped strip of flat metal and having an upward extension 17 whereby said projector may be manually pulled backward. The second function of the stud 15 is to Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented J an. 6, 1914.

Application filed October 23, 1912. Serial No. 727,331.

serve as an-abutment for the rear end of a spring 18 which is interposed between said stud and the forward, end of the projector, which is slitted at that end to form a pair .of lips 19-20 bent in opposite directions to serve not only as members engaged by the front end of the spring to propel the projector forward, but also to serve as a guiding means for that end of the projector within the barrel 12. A third function of the stud 15 is that of a stop to limit the forward 7 movement of the projector 17 as propelled by the spring 18, the normal or fired position of the projector being shown in Fig. 2. Another function of the stud 15 is that of maintaining the parallel portions of the breech wall in properly spaced condition so as to confine the operator for the projector in proper place therebetween, this operator being made of wire bent into a crank or handle portion 25 and an actuator on 26 formed by bending the Wire into U-shape as shown in Fig. 1 and having its front end 26 slightly curved downwardly to engage the portion 17 of the projector and pull the same back rearwardly against the action of' 25 will result in pulling the projector rearwardly and releasing the same, alternately.

The rear portion of the ledge or flat face 16 is bent downwardly as shown at 28, and has a foot 29 which may be held in engagementwith the block 10 by the hand of the operator, especially while turning the crank 25, it being understood that owing to the swivel connection of the bracket 11 on said block, said foot 29 may be swung around the axis or pivot screw 30 of the cannon support, While at the same time said foot may be used for elevating or depressing the barrel of the gun, as the case may be.

Changes may be made in particular construction of some of the component elements of the device, without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially in the formation of the breech as well as in the form of support.

I claim: i

1. A toy cannon comprising a barrel formed of sheet metal and having a breech portion open at its top and its bottom portion provided with a flat face, a projector formed from a flat piece of metal and in fiat- Wise contact with said flat face and having breech and cooperative with the fiat face thereof in guidi saidvprojector in its movement, and also a apted to be engaged by the,

upturned end thereof to limit the outward movement thereof, and a spring interposed between said stationary member and the outer end of said projector for propelling the latter outwardly. V

2. A toy cannon comprising a barrel, a projector movable therein and formed of a central bar of flat sheet metal having its front end slitted and bent to form a pair of wings extending in opposite directions to guide the projector in the barrel, an abutment stationary in said barrel, and a spring interposed between said abutment and the wings for normally propelling said projector outwardly.

3. A toy cannon comprising a base plate, a barrel formed of sheet metal and having at its rear end an integral downwardly-curved extension adapted to rest upon said base plate, and a U- haped sheet metal post pivotally supportin said barrel and mounted for rotation on said base plate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature inpresence of two witnesses;

HENRY R. GILSON.

Witnesses:

F. A. COBB, H. E. MILLER. 

